Look back Options

[NRhodes]

I was pretty tickled with this so I thought I'd share. Queen has a "look back" but this is the first time I've sent her back after cattle that were so far away out of sight (to her). She hung up at the creek thinking it was a barrier and I had to redirect her a number of times to get her to go on back but as you can see once she crossed the creek she zipped on up there and picked the cows up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9OCuiUxyek

[juliepoudrier]

Great video. Queen looks like a nice dog. Thanks for sharing!

J.

[Jeanne Joy]

Well done Nicole. A nice dog with good stock savvy.

[NRhodes]

Thanks you two ! I like her pretty well.
Here's another one, this actually takes place before the first video I posted. This is the main group of cows here. Again, Queen isn't given another command after she is sent for the cattle. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMqqaDKathE

[Mojo]

I was pretty tickled with this so I thought I'd share. Queen has a "look back" but this is the first time I've sent her back after cattle that were so far away out of sight (to her). She hung up at the creek thinking it was a barrier and I had to redirect her a number of times to get her to go on back but as you can see once she crossed the creek she zipped on up there and picked the cows up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9OCuiUxyek

Wow. Now, *that's* a "look back." Now I feel silly being so proud of Mojo's "look back" to a ewe that was about 3 feet behind him, but I guess 3 feet is better than no feet!!! In any case, your video was very inspiring...maybe someday I'll get to experience the thrill of sending a dog back a few hundred yards on a single command!! What a great dog Queen is...thank you for sharing!

[stockdogranch]

Nice videos, thanks for posting! (And cattle, too )
A

[NRhodes]

Thanks Anna

Thanks Koi. If I can give a suggestion, the "ewe that was about 3 feet behind him" shouldn't have been a look back. I would have done an "aaht, what are you doing?!" because the dog should be conscientious of the group and keeping them together. He was working the whole group to begin with so shouldn't have left or forgotten that other ewe. He shouldn't need a look back on stock he is already working- the look back is for the dog to look for stock that they aren't already on. That way when you are sending the dog on a longer and longer outrun he will be careful and look at the whole group, even if one isn't right next to another, the dog will gather them. Make sense?

[Kelliwic Border ...]

Thanks for sharing these videos. In many places in the videos I thought of how I'd have to work on THAT with my dogs, and THAT, and that TOO... (I don't mean just the dogs, I mean me as a handler, and the dogs.)

[NorthfieldNick]

Nice dog, and great video, Nicole! I'm always in awe of dogs working cattle. I know Nick would like to work more than just our lazy dairy cows (all 2 of them), but I'm afraid of cows.

[Gloria Atwater]

Wow. The look back is gorgeous, but I'm even more impressed by how she brought those soggy ol' bred cows in. They wanted to go up, they wanted to go down, they wanted to ANYthing but come in. Queenie had to work her heart out, and damn, she got it done.

I know some cowboys would give their left nut for a dog with that kind of heart and stock sense.

Looked at your website. I'm not a bit surprised to find she's an Erickson dog.

Very nice girl. There was a time when I would have loved to have one just like her. Nowadays, I'm older and whimpier, and I only put my dogs to sheep. Thanks for sharing the vids!
Cheers ~

Gloria

[Stoga]

Wow.

Ditto. Says it all...

[NRhodes]

Thanks y'all <3
Here's another one of Queen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIoSOV4j1aQ

[stockdogranch]

Nice video, Nicole! What a bunch of butthead calves! I thought for sure once the first one went in the others would follow, but they were really wanting to just stand around, sideways, not going anywhere. I always hate it when the one in front stands sideways or turns around to head back over top of the dog. Nice work,
A

[jdarling]

Cool video, Nicole! That is a very nice dog. At a clinic recently, the clinician was talking about how a lot of ranchers think courage in a dog is how much bite and slice and dice they have (a lot of time causing the problems they find themselves in), when actually, it has more to do with holding their ground, and I think this video demonstrates that very nicely.

[Sue R]

Nicole - Sorry but I finally took the time to watch the videos. Very, very nice! My husband wanted me to tell you he was totally impressed! He liked the loading work in particular. Queen only used her bite when she needed it and used her presence to do some nice, low-stress work.

She is a very nice dog. You've put a lot of time and effort into her and it shows!

[stockdogranch]

a lot of ranchers think courage in a dog is how much bite and slice and dice they have (a lot of time causing the problems they find themselves in), when actually, it has more to do with holding their ground,

Totally. The ones who are in there slashing and dashing are most often doing it from fear (the best defense is a good offense kind of thinking), and those who calmly, quietly stand their ground, moving in slowly are those with balls of steel,
A

[Sue R]

Totally. The ones who are in there slashing and dashing are most often doing it from fear (the best defense is a good offense kind of thinking), and those who calmly, quietly stand their ground, moving in slowly are those with balls of steel,
A

That is so true! And, let's face it, it's all about reducing stress and keeping animals safe and productive. Unnecessary gripping and action neither reduce stress or help productivity.

[NRhodes]

Thanks y'all, I'm pretty happy with my little dog. I'd like to run her in the Cattle Finals. I think I got points from my placing at Edgeworth. I've been working on cleaning up her flanks and teaching her to drive. She had no idea how to drive/cross drive at Edgeworth with me standing way back at the post. It's not something I'd ever asked her to do before XD

Totally. The ones who are in there slashing and dashing are most often doing it from fear (the best defense is a good offense kind of thinking), and those who calmly, quietly stand their ground, moving in slowly are those with balls of steel,
A

Anna, that is the absolute truth! A lot of people mistake bite for power despite the dog is biting all the wrong way and/or for the wrong reason. This has come up in conversation twice the last two days. I'm working on putting together an article for the magazine about it, what should a correct flank (and correct attitude!) as the dog moves around stock look like, power as it relates to the way a dog moves around stock, symptoms of lack of power, the training you can do to decide which you've got. Some dogs are so natural they just move around stock the right way, others are great dogs but need to be shown a little where they need to be to feel comfortable and gain confidence. I'm hoping I can have photos in the article to try and illustrate what I'm talking about and videos for people to go watch online.

[Debbie Meier]

I'm working on putting together an article for the magazine about it, what should a correct flank (and correct attitude!) as the dog moves around stock look like, power as it relates to the way a dog moves around stock, symptoms of lack of power, the training you can do to decide which you've got. Some dogs are so natural they just move around stock the right way, others are great dogs but need to be shown a little where they need to be to feel comfortable and gain confidence. I'm hoping I can have photos in the article to try and illustrate what I'm talking about and videos for people to go watch online.

Looking forward to the article.

Deb

[stockdogranch]

Sounds great. And now that my financial situation is not as dire as it has been for the past several years, I might actually be able to *subscribe*
A